Recent studies on children's eating habits have shown that many American toddlers go without vegetables on any given day. For example, one in four 6-month-olds to 11-month-olds and one in five 1-year-olds reported no vegetable consumption at all on days on which they were surveyed. Studies have also shown a general decline in the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables among toddlers, and that most children are consuming less than half the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Because children's eating patterns develop at a young age, poor eating habits when young can put children on a path of poor nutrition that often extends into adulthood.
However, fruits and vegetables are high in the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers necessary to promote good health/development and protect against disease/illness. Fruits and vegetables have been shown to improve overall nutrition, weight management, intestinal health, academic performance, disease prevention, etc. Consequently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that vegetables be consumed with every meal and snack. But it can be difficult to get children to consistently consume nutritious foods.
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